Editorial: The New York Times

• For over 12 years, Alexei Navalny has crusaded against Vladimir Putin's rule, who tried to avoid mentioning Navalny despite efforts to silence him.
• The official reactions to the eventual death of Navalny inadvertently confirm the seriousness of his corruption and misrule accusations as a political challenge to Putin.
• Navalny stood out for breaking through the government's lies, becoming a dangerous figure, a martyr, posing a risk to Putin a month before national elections.
• Unlike the urban, intellectual opposition to Putin's rule, Navalny managed to speak to the resentments of ordinary Russian citizens through his denouncement of corruption.
• While the dissidents of the Soviet era fought against a utopian ideology, Navalny's battle was against those who used the victory over Communism to amass power and wealth.

Conclusion: Navalny was a brave crusader, who chose to fight for his beliefs despite suffering. Navalny challenged Putin's narrative of representing Russian greatness. His death could add momentum to the questions and accusations he raised, making it difficult for Putin to maintain his myth.

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